WWE PLEs Moving To New ESPN DTC Service Much Earlier Than Initially Announced

WWE's premium live events are officially moving to ESPN's new direct-to-consumer service much earlier than initially expected. WWE confirmed the news, as well as confirming Wrestlepalooza for September 20, in a press release on Wednesday. PLEs will move to ESPN's DTC service following Clash in Paris, which will still air on Peacock in the United States.

It was previously reported earlier in August when WWE and ESPN confirmed the massive deal that all PLEs would move to the service beginning in March 2026, when WWE's deal with Peacock was reportedly set to end. According to Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline, WWE will have fulfilled its PLE quota on Peacock with Clash in Paris. Alvarez confirmed that due to the additional day of SummerSlam and other shows like Evolution, the quota will be filled with the August 31 event. It's currently not known where the WWE library will land after the Peacock deal ends.

WWE confirmed in the Wednesday press release that the ESPN DTC service will stream all of their PLEs with select shows simulcasting on ESPN's linear platforms. The company noted in the press release that WWE PLEs will be available to subscribers with the unlimited plan. The service launches on Thursday, August 21. Fans are able to sign up for the direct-to-consumer offer through the ESPN Unlimited Plan or the ESPN Select Plan. 

Many WWE fans had questions with the initial announcement of the WWE/ESPN deal as to whether their previous services will include the new DTC service for premium live events. ESPN provided further information on its DTC service page outlining the subscription packages.